REVAMPED Robins made title favourites Poole work hard for a 50-42 win in Dorset on Wednesday.

Polish star Maciej Janowski was the top Swindon rider with an impressive 13-points and Scott Nicholls won the last race in his 12-point haul.

Ronnie Russell handed debuts to Danish duo Nicolai Klindt and Jesper B Monberg who notched 8 and 3 respectively.

And skipper Simon Stead was ruled out with his rib injuries with his colleagues scoring 6 from his four programmed rides.

Robins kept the scores close for the majority of the meeting and it took a late Pirates onslaught to give the final scoreline a more emphatic look.

Swindon co-owner Gary Patchett said: “We have seen enough to give us encouragement, to come to Poole and push them like this is a good effort.”

POOLE 50: Chris Holder 12+1, Davey Watt 11, Dennis Andersson 10, Darcy Ward 9+1, Christian Hefenbrock 4+1, Gary Havelock 2+1, Renat Gafurov 2+1.

SWINDON 42: Maciej Janowski 13, Scott Nicholls 12, Nikolai Klindt 8, Justin Sedgmen 4+2, Jesper B Monberg 3, Cory Gathercole 1+1, Simon Stead R/R.